Washington, D.C.—The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has determined that partially hydrogenated oils, which are the primary source of trans fat in food, are not "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS). It has opened a 60-day public comment period on this ruling, which if finalized would require food manufacturers to reformulate any products currently containing trans fat.

Bethesda, MD—A large clinical trial is underway to determine whether taking vitamin D3 supplements can help prevent or delay the development of type-2 diabetes in adults who are at risk of the disease.

Singapore—International researchers at Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School and Duke University School of Medicine have found that increased caffeine intake may be beneficial to those with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Silver Spring, MD; San Diego, CA—A new guidance document that details the formulating and marketing of organic dietary supplements under the USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP) has been released by The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) and Quality Assurance International (QAI).

Chicago, IL—The Natural Health Research Institute and the American Nutrition Association are joining up again to offer their annual scientific symposium on October 31. This year’s overarching topic is “The Effective of Natural Products & Integrative Medicine for Pain Management.”

On Tuesday May 13, 2013 at 1:00pm EST, the Natural Products Association (NPA) board and an appointed committee held a webinar to discuss current business challenges facing the natural products industry.

Hartford, CT—With a 35–1 vote, the Connecticut Senate reportedly passed a bill that would require foods containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to be labeled. It became the first state Senate to do so, but the bill’s prospects in the Connecticut House of Representatives remained unclear. The bill states that the labeling requirement would not take effect in Connecticut until July 1, 2016, unless three other nearby states passed similar legislation. In that case, it would take effect July 1, 2015.